Breaking Point
by Tigerliliee
Summary: Harley Quinn and her toxic relationship with the Joker.  Contains light swearing,  none of the major swears,  and tiny bit of violence.
1. The Joker

Her trembling hand reached for the open cupboard.

Paracetamol, Codeine, Zoloft, Proxan, her hand brushed over all of the bottles in her cabinet, even the unnamed boxes that were stolen from Gotham Hospital.

She wasn't supposed to have those boxes, he didn't want her to, but she pocketed them anyway. She pushed them all into her hands; all of the chalky little circles, inhaling the pills as if they were common cough drops.

One pill for the pain, one pill for the misery, she wished she had something that would make her stop loving him. Hell, she'd even settle for something to get rid of her memories, then maybe she wouldn't remember how he made her feel. She wished she could forget the butterflies in her stomach or the twisted smile on his face as he raised his fist.

Harley closed the cupboard; her likeness stared back at her from behind the shattered, mirror-covered doors.

She flinched and turned her face away.

She hated her reflection; she hated her face…. she hated herself.

Ever since she joined him, she couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror. It wasn't because she regretted joining him; the best decision she had ever made was springing Mr. J from Arkam Asylum. When she allowed him to escape, she too was free from the shackles of her boring, mediocre life as Harleen Quinzel. But now she couldn't look at herself without seeing every bruise and every cut, symbols of the new shackles she was placed in.

Her own brain was turning on her, forming chains that added to the existing restraints. Her once pretty face was replaced by the image of a merciless echo of her past self, who's favourite past time was attacking Harley's optimism and bringing her to tears.

"You're a filthy slut, that's why he would never want you" The reflection screamed back at her, twisting and turning into a cruel demon until the face staring back at her wasn't even her own.

"It was all your fault…"

Those words cut the deepest.

Harley screamed in pain, swivelling her head in a desperate attempt to escape her own mind. She was trapped, the horrible words covered her thoughts like the bars from the asylum she escaped from. She writhed and squirmed, her knuckles white from gripping onto the dirty sink in front of her.

"Shut-up…. Shut up… SHUT UP!" Harley screamed, finally breaking. She fell to the bathroom floor, gasping for breath.

If this were a romantic drama, her prince charming would have rushed through the door at that very moment, bundling her up in his arms and assuring that everything was going to be all right. But this wasn't a romantic movie. There was no prince to come and save her from the world, her "prince" was the one who was inflicting this hell upon her.

And the worst part? She still loved him.

"Stop your crying!" Yelled a voice from behind the door, "You can hear everything through the walls in this Goddamn building!"

He forcefully rattled the doorknob, trying to open it.

"S,S, Sorry Puddin" She managed to stammer out, " I'll stop, truly, just don't come in"

Her hand flew to her mouth, she shouldn't have said the last part. The last time Harley tried to tell him not to do something she ended up with a broken nose and a death toll of eighty civilians on her hands.

The banging on the door became louder and with every purposeful shove the cheap, motel hinges became looser. He was screaming profanities in between his timed pushes as if creating a sickening rhythm.

Curse…

Shove….

Curse…

Shove…

Harley could hear her heat pounding in her chest, her shaking legs slowly found their way and she backed into a corner. She grabbed a razor for protection; and laughed at how little it would help. But she had to do something, her battered and broken face couldn't withstand another beating. Only a certain amount of blood could be shed in one night before she would crack.

The door fell to the floor with a deafening crash. The wind seemed to be knocked out of Harley as if she was a balloon that had been popped, and she held the razor out with a quivering hand.

The Joker laughed.

"As if you could hurt me" He cackled, knocking the razor out of her hand with a single swipe. "I'd like to see you try, bitch. Come on! Try to fight back!"

He shoved her against the empty doorframe, his hands gripping her collarbones. Harley let out a small whimper, too terrified to scream amidst her sobs. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, and the sickly smell of whiskey and cigarettes burned through her nostrils.

"Come on, fight back… hit me, I dare you"

She shoved him, hard, as hard as she could manage. Grabbing the nearest coat she sprinted to the motel door.

"Get away from me!" She screamed, trying to open the lock with her shaking hands.

The joker ran up behind her, entangling his fingers in her knotted hair. He pulled at it, twisting her tear-stained face to meet his.

"Where are you planning to go bitch?" His words were starting to slur as the alcohol kicked in. "Nobody in this whole damn city wants you! So where are you going to go? To the police? To the Batman?" He burst into a taunting cackle.

His hand kept a tight grip on her hair and he turned her face away from him.

"You're disgusting," He said and shoved her face as hard as he could into the wooden doorframe.

Blood gushed down Harley's face, her nose was smashed and she couldn't see out of her left eye. She sprinted out of the door, leaving the joker and the curses he was screaming behind her. She could only get down a couple of steps before collapsing into a bloody heap, and was forced to crawl down the last of the motel steps.

After gaining her strength back, Harley ran down the street. The flickering streetlights became arrows of light as her vision blurred. She ran and ran; exasperatingly picking herself up every time she collapsed. Until she just couldn't do it anymore and crumpled into a sobbing mass, her screams echoing around her.


	2. The Batman

*** Well an awesome person on here told me to add another chapter, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I always liked the part in Batman when Harley teamed up with him to catch the Joker, so I thought I would do that. I'm pretty sure its Nolanverse Batman (although in my mind he doesn't look like Christian Bale) as there is no mention of Robin ***

Half an hour passed, and Harley was still sobbing.

People in the streets glanced at the girl who was crying in the middle of the road, but no one bothered to help. There was no reason any of them should anyway; you had to learn to look after yourself in Gotham, helping another civilian meant certain death. To them, Harley was simply another civilian; she wasn't wearing her costume, although her face was smeared in the makeup donned by her alter ego.

No one ever seemed to notice her. Her parents never did, neither did her boyfriend and apparently neither did the small crowds of people surrounding her. Which is why it came as a surprise when someone finally did notice Harley.

A dark figure flew over her bowed head, a contrast to the bleak, cloudy sky. The people surrounding her started to scatter, dropping whatever they were doing in an effort to not make eye contact with the figure that had just appeared.

"Are you okay miss?" Came a deep voice from behind her. "Can I help you?"

Harley slowly turned her head around, peering up at the owner of the voice through her thick eyelashes.

"Harley…" The figure grumbled, his helpful manner melted into a menacing tone.

"Its not what you think!" Harley said, standing up to face him, "I'm not up to anything and for once I'm not bait in a trap, please Batman, I… I… I.."

She tripped on her last words, feeling the incoming sobs chocking her throat.

Batman studied her appearance, truly able to see it now that they were face to face. He could see the broken nose, the black eye and the rips and cuts surrounding her full lips. He had noticed things like this before of course, she would be bruise free during her stay at the Asylum, her naturally pretty features would have time to heal and she would become the main object of affection for many of the inmates there. But after she escaped and ran back to the Joker, she'd look as bruised and battered as she did now.

Out of all the lunatics in Gotham, Harley was his favourite. Maybe it was her blonde pigtails, her big eyes or the fact that she could giggle at almost anything, but he had a soft spot for her. Although everyone in the city thought of him as a guardian, he was still human and would still let the laws slip every now and again.

"I can't go back to Arkam, He'll find me there I know it," Harley pleaded finally finding her words, she held his gaze directly, as she knew the improbability of what she was about to ask. "I don't want to be with Mr. J anymore, Let me join you…. I want to take down the Joker."

Batman sat, hunched over, contemplating what he had just allowed. The lone guardian of Gotham City was now a team, a team with the main accomplice of a murderer. Why didn't he turn it down? He was completely capable of capturing the Joker; he had done so many times in the past. So why did he agree to let Harley help him? Maybe the innocent affection he felt toward her was getting the better of him, or hell, maybe he was just letting his loneliness bet the better of him instead.

Behind him, Harley bounced around the Batcave, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at everything that lined the walls.

"Will you stop it!" Batman growled, standing up suddenly.

Harley's spirit seemed to drop and she slumped into a chair, an apologetic look spreading across her face. She didn't want to do anything to mess up this new alliance. She needed this, although the submissive inside of her wanted to run back to the Joker, she needed her revenge.

"I'm sorry" He said, "I didn't mean it that harshly, but can you just sit still for a second?"

Harley remained still, staring intently as he furrowed his brow.

"What was that plan you mentioned on the way here?" Batman asked, remembering her "brilliant plan." The ride to the batcave was half filled with Harley crying her eyes out, and the other half was filled with her rambling about her genius plan to capture the Joker.

"Oh!" Harley perked up as she started the speech she had in her head. "He talks freely around me you see, he tends to forget that I exist. One night he was talking about his latest conquest, something about blowing up Gotham Hospital and the Asylum so that you have no where to put us criminal types"

Batman stared at Harley as she blathered on. The Joker's latest crimes seemed to add up now, a bomb expert kidnapped from his house; a vault broken into and a shipment of drugs from the hospital were taken recently.

"But how do you suppose we actually stop him?" Batman asked, and Harley instantly stopped, a puzzled expression on her face.

Harley stood up and began to look around at the cluttered would-be cave. She needed to think of how she could actually catch her ex-lover. The cave was filled with gadgets of all types, explosives and toxins that she could only ever imagine were located right at her fingertips. She ran her hand along the sleek surface of the shelves; she passed a new computer and came to a long mirror.

She didn't look at it for long, but it was long enough to be entranced by the cruel demon inhabiting her reflections.

"You think you can fight him, slut?" The mirror said to her, its cruel voice piercing Harley's ears.

"I'm not alone now," Harley said, trying to fight back.

Batman turned to look at the strange girl talking to her reflection. Why was it always the crazy one's he was attracted too?

"Oh of course, I'd forgotten, you've joined with the Batman now. Two men in one day aren't we the little whore. No wonder no one loves you, if you give it away for free who the hell is going to bother buying the main prize, especially when the prize is as worthless as you are" The mirror scoffed at her, before breaking into a taunting cackle.

Harley dug her fingernails into her skin for grounding. She shook her head, trying to run away from the reflection. But it was as if she was stuck, forced to listen to the cruel voice.

"He'll turn on you too," It said, grinning a sickly grin. "No one ever stays with you, you're useless and disgusting… nobody loves you!"

Harley screamed, falling into a crumpled mass on the floor. Batman rushed over to her crouching next to the sobbing Harley.

"No… No… No…" She kept repeating, her hands covered her ears.

"Stop, stop, tell me what happened." Batman's voice changed into that of Bruce Wayne's, his regular voice; he was too worried to keep the act going anymore. Only two people who knew him as Batman had heard that voice, Alfred and Selina Kyle, two people he had cared about dearly.

He listened as Harley explained, about her depression, about the cruel demon in the mirror and everything in between. She had never poured her heart out to someone since she first joined the Joker, he would only ever beat her if they tried to have a conversation that didn't start and end with sex.

"Listen to me, that person in the mirror is wrong. You aren't worthless and you never will be. When you have depression your brain starts turning against you, it makes you believe things that aren't real. When I lost someone who was close to me, I went through the same thing that you are going through. But I turned out fine… well relatively fine." Batman said, letting a smile escape his lips as she giggled at the last part.

"You just have to learn that you aren't useless, you are worth something..."

Harley's eyes widened in surprise as he pressed his lips against hers.


	3. The Morning After

*** This one I think is probably an M, I doubt it, but I don't know. But just to be sure, if any of you impressionable young kiddies out there are reading this then GO BACK TO BED! Save your innocent minds *****

Their lips broke apart after a minute.

"I'm sorry, I…" said Batman, but before he could finish his sentence, Harley grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him again.

It wasn't sweet, like before, there was no big build-up to it. It was spur-of-the-moment, an "I want you now" type of kiss, the kind that usually lead to something more.

Her hands moved from beside his face down to the back of his neck. She grasped the rubber and tried to pull it away, not used to kissing someone in a mask. His hands moved too. They moved to her hips, her waist and up to her chest, then to her shoulders and the collar of her coat. Her shirt teared slightly, due to the fact that he practically ripped it off.

All the while Harley was still trying to get his mask off, her curiosity over took her and she was desperate to know his true identity. But by the time her bra was off, she was too swept up in it all to bother with the mask.

He pinned her to the ground, moans and sighs escaped Harley's lips, and her body quivered and convulsed under the weight of him. He was different to the Joker; once Mr. J was done she was simply chucked to the ground. But with the Batman it was different, it seemed like he actually cared about her.

Harley had her first orgasm in months, her mouth gaped open with a scream that was too loud to come out, and her blonde hair tussled over her bare shoulders.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Harley shot up, her head spiralling as the effects of last night sunk in.

She grabbed her strewn coat from a protruding lamp and pulled it up to her chest, suddenly self-conscious of her naked body.

"Oh, hey.." Harley said awkwardly, spying Bruce Wayne in the corner of her vision. His bat suit was already on and as his steely gaze met hers, she could tell he already regretted what had happened.

"I have to go" He muttered, walking away.

"Wait, What?" Harley yelled. She was surprised at the amount of concern in her tone, but she just couldn't handle being left behind again. "What about our plan? Hell, What about last night?"

"That was a mistake." He growled, "It's never a good ideas for enemies to have relations, even if they are on your side momentarily."

Harley stood up, the anger inside her brewing. How dare he just leave her here? The coat dropped around her ankles, and she was left there in her black panties, boiling with fury.

"So that's it!" She screamed, stomping closer and closer to the dark knight. "The clock strikes twelve and Cinderella leaves the Goddamn ball? Don't you dare even try to give me some crap excuse to leave, okay! Cause we didn't even figure out a plan last night before you kissed me!"

"Do you really think I want to leave?" Batman yelled. "I'm only leaving because I know there is not a single point in staying. You may think you want revenge and that you're suddenly one of the good guys, but you aren't. The minute you see that painted face, you are going to run straight back to the madman, and this will only become something you'll laugh about with your boyfriend."

Batman unlocked the Bat mobile and jumped in.

"If you truly wish to do good, be at Gotham Hospital by 4pm, we'll go ahead with the plan anyway."

He closed the door and sped off through his labyrinth of entrances. Harley stood there, a counter-argument was on the tip of her tongue but unable to be used. She slumped onto the ground, choking back the incoming tears. She was left alone, again, but this time it hurt more than the Joker's abuse did. Even the person who believed everyone could be saved didn't want her. Which meant she was worse than any murderer or lunatic that he had ever faced.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Miss." Came a gentle voice from one of the doors.

Harley spun around, pulling the coat up to cover her chest in surprise.

Alfred, the butler, was standing there, a look of pity on his face.

"He has a tendency to leave most of his… er… guests here, I wouldn't take it personally. You can leave this way if you want."

Alfred stepped closer, a welcoming hand outstretched to her.

"Oh… You're the Joker's girl aren't you, the gymnast." Alfred took his step back, and furrowed his brow.

Through incoming tears, Harley stuttered her way through an explanation. The butler listened and almost seemed to understand. By the time she had finished, his hand was out to her again, helping her up from the floor.

Harley threw her shirt on as she walked out the door, the butler walking steps behind her.

"Thankyou" She said as she left, through her eyes he could see she was truly grateful.

Alfred only smiled.

"Innocent until proven guilty" he said sofly, and left without another word.


	4. The Ending

Harley felt as if her mind was the greyhound track she often bet on.

_Well, that's the end of the race folks. It seems that "I haven't washed my hair" has come in third, barely rounding the corner. "Why won't I just die" has come a close second, but "Confusing Feelings" has won folks! I envy the rich bastard who bet on him, because that grey hound has reached the finish line and is still going!_

She hated the thoughts that were running around in her head, she couldn't tell what she wanted anymore. It was those damn feelings that were making her run to the hospital. She knew no one wanted her there. Mr. J didn't want her there, Batman didn't want her there and the police sure-as-hell didn't want her there.

Not that she wanted to see the police either; those cops have been looking for her ever since she escaped from Arkham. They probably wouldn't even care that she was one of the good guys now.

But was she? Was she really one of the good guys now?

The hospital loomed ahead of her, blocking the orange and pinks of the fading sunset.

She wanted to sit and watch it, watch the sun sink below the Gotham skyline. Although given the choice she would want to be one of the people in the offices, watching it through her window, a picture of her shining children and her husband on the desk she would be sitting on. But she had made her choice; she was about to walk into a trap, not knowing whether she was the captor or the bait. She couldn't live the live she would have despised living only a day ago.

A dark shadow flew above her.

"Batman! Down here" she screamed.

He landed in front of her, his dark cape pooling around him.

"You actually came" He said, a smile briefly spread across his face, before he pushed it away. "Well you shouldn't have, you shouldn't be here."

"Well, I am, and you can't keep pushing me away. I'm going to help." She said, the pure anger rising in her voice. "I know you don't have a proper plan, I was with you all of last night and I know you certainly weren't thinking of one when your dick was inside me, now were you?"

She pushed Batman aside, stepping ahead of him up the hospital stairs.

"I'm going to do what I do best and act like bait. When I tell you too, jump out from your hiding place and get him."

Harley opened the door, leaving him to disappear into the incoming night sky.

As she entered she was faced with her old crew, bomb-experts, explosive technicians and murders, faces all draped in clown masks. The Joker stood in front of them, his eternal smile looked confused as he faces his prodigal lover.

"Oh Puddin' I'm so sorry I ran away!" Harley sighed, her eyes welling with fake tears. "I'll never do something like that again, I should never have left you!"

"And don't you ever forget it, whore," The joker said, "Oh I can't kid myself I do almost need you in this, you were always good with the chemistry mumbo-jumbo"

Harley pulled the Joker in close; close enough to feel the heat of his breath on her face. It didn't smell of cheap whisky like yesterday, only his usual foul breath. That was probably the only reason she wasn't greeted with a beating upon her arrival.

"So let me help you, Mr. J," she murmured, grasping his tie in her hand. "I want to help y…. NOW!"

Batman crashed in through the Hospital sunroof, glass shattering around him.

He took out three goons, their unconscious bodies lying limply in heap. Harley watched as he roundhouse kicked one of her past comrades. The Joker grabbed Harley by her shoulders, turning her away from him, and Harley felt the cold metal of a pistol against her head.

"Don't move, Bat-Freak, or I blow her head off!" The Joker snarled.

Batman froze, his hand grasping the neck of one of Joker's associates.

The Joker pulled the gun away from Harley's head, aiming it at Batman. This was Harley's chance. She twisted away from his grasp, her leg flying upwards in an attempt to kick him. Her sneaker collided with his face and he fell to the ground.

Harley bent down, grabbing his wrists together. As the Joker regained motor-ability, she whispered something to him. Batman didn't hear what was whispered, he assumed it was a final goodbye, probably dripping with hatred for her abusive ex-boyfriend.

The Gotham police were waiting outside, arms at the ready for the ruthless villain. The Joker was thrust through the door, his bound body tumbling down the stairs. He seemed to wink at Harley before making his grand exit. But Batman didn't notice, his concentration was focused on Harley, as she walked up to talk.

"Look, If this is going to be a 'Gone with the Wind' moment then I'm just going to leave, I don't want to play Scarlet and if you don't want me as one of the good guys then spare me any talk and just step out of my way." Harley said.

Her hand was on his chest, prepared to push him away. But he placed his gloved hand on hers, clutching it in his fingers.

"You proved yourself today," He said with a smile, "If I ever need help, I promise I'll come to you. You're part of the 'Good Guys' as you call it"

"I better run, the police still don't want me here even if you do now" she laughed, dashing through the back of the hospital.

…

Harley's hand brushed against the vine-covered door, her fingertips reaching for the handle.

"I'm back!" She called, out of Harley's view, a singsong voice replied to her announcement, calling her to the back of the room.

"Well I did just what you said, and now they both believe I'm deeply and hopelessly in love with them." Harley's mocked, her hands clutching her heart in a fake sigh.

Harley lit a cigarette, the strong smoke forming a perfect 'O' as it fell from her full lips. She moaned, the puff of nicotine set her heart racing and she could practically feel the blood pumping quickly through her veins.

"I never would have thought to try these before that injection you gave me, but now that it wont kill me, well I'm definitely enjoying them. I didn't even need it for the plan. All that rushing with the toxins was for nothing, we could have talked for longer than that hour after I left his house, you know caught up more."

"See I am good to you," came her singsong voice again, sitting down across from Harley. "Well we can catch up now, tell me what happened at the Hospital."

"Well The Batman believes I'm on his side and Mr. J believes that I'm going to be his own personal fly on the wall. No one even suspects that I'm working with you." Harley said, the anger growing in her voice as she took another puff. "That'll teach the bastard for just banging me and dumping me, promise you'll make him pay, with the information I find out. You will won't you, Red?"

"Of course I will babe."

Poison Ivy's ruby lips formed a smile as she looked at her new partner

"We'll make him pay." 

_...The End_...


End file.
